Stay
by Golden Vampire Eyes
Summary: If I told you I loved you, would it make you want to stay? A long process leads to a heartbreaking decision. Set in New Moon times.


**Hello lovely readers! I am so glad you stumbled upon this one-shot! I was inspired by a really amazing song! Stay by Black Stone Cherry. I've included the main portion of the song below! Listen to it while you read! It is such a beautiful song!**

 **Description: Bella ends up with Jacob, but what happens when we doesn't imprint?**

 **Hope you enjoy! I had enjoyed writing one-shots and short stories so much recently! I've posted more now than ever!**

* * *

 _I'd sell my soul just to see your face_  
 _And id break my bones just to heal your pain_  
 _And in these times I need a saving grace_  
 _Cause time is running out and I'm starting to lose my faith_

 _But if I told you I loved you would it make you wanna stay_  
 _I'm sorry for the way I make you feel day after day_  
 _And if I wrote you a love song and sang it to you everyday_  
 _Would it ever be enough to make you wanna come back home to stay_  
 _Would it make you, make you wanna stay._

 _My hearts on my sleeve but it's turning black_  
 _And without your touch I'm not gonna last_  
 _It feels like my walls are cavin in_  
 _And I'll do anything to have you here again_

 _The days are cold the nights are long_  
 _And I can't stand to be alone_  
 _Please know this is not your fault_  
 _And all I want is to tell you I love you_  
 _And make you wanna stay._  
 _I'm sorry for the way I make you feel day after day_  
 _And if I wrote you a love song and sang it to you everyday_  
 _Would it ever be enough to make you wanna come back home to stay_

* * *

I couldn't believe that after years of heartaches I found myself in the same situation.

4 months after Edward left, Jacob and I started a romantic relationship. I had to give him a fair chance and I realized that I really could love outside of my Greek god. After Jacob phased into a wolf, it didn't change things between us. We had to keep figuring things out, but it never broke us apart. Victoria had been around, but I felt safe with Jake and the pack. Things were going great till a spontaneous dive off of a cliff brought Alice Cullen to my house and into my relationship.

It came to an unsteady agreement when I left for Italy to save Edward. I really did not have much time to think through everything, but I couldn't live with myself if Edward ended his life. When I came back from Italy, I was shaken from the Volturi and bothered by the promise of my life to their world. I also had a new problem that followed me home; Edward. He confessed his lying to me in the woods and his still unconditional love he could not shake. It tore my heart even more, but I had to tell him no. Jacob deserved better to say the least. Edward would always have a piece of my heart, but I've learned how to maneuver it so it did not beat so loudly. Edward accepted this, but asked for my friendship. I granted him that and I was honestly glad to have them around again.

* * *

" _Bella, we need to talk." Edward's smooth honey voice broke through my walls that I was building to keep him out. I had created such an impenetrable fortress around my mind and those feelings that it was like they didn't exist; except they never faded and throbbed just like an open wound. The past eight months I (with the help of Jacob) have been putting my mind and heart back together and it was still very fragile. Talking to Edward now was going to do nothing for my mental state._

" _Sure."I said stupidly, moving to sit down on one of the soft recliners in the Cullen living room. Edward pulled a kitchen chair to sit right in front of me. It was all I could do to not be dazzled by his presence. Dammit Bella. I took a deep breath and tried to gain some composure."What do you want to talk about?"_

" _I lied to you Bella." Edward started off in his famously pained voice. It hurt to see the pain etched across his beautiful features, but I controlled myself. I nodded for him to go on. "All of those horrible things I said to you in the woods were a well thought out lie. I knew you would want to come with us, but I thought I was protecting you. I never realized that it would almost kill us both. It was foolish of me, thinking that I could keep you safe by disappearing. I'm truly sorry for all the pain I caused you."_

 _A part of me wanted to laugh. He had no idea about the pain he caused; but maybe he did? The stories Alice told me made me shudder. I couldn't imagine Edward like that. I sighed as tears spilled out of my eyes and onto my cheeks. He reached to wipe them away but I shook my head. "Edward, you destroyed me." I cried in my pain. His face contorted with his own, almost in the same way it did when Jane hit him with her power._

" _I am so sorry Bella. It was the biggest mistake I have made in my existence by leaving you. As long as you shall have me, I am here to stay." Edward's soul bored into mine through his gaze. I felt like my limbs were turning into putty._

" _I forgive you. I wouldn't have gone to Italy if I didn't forgive you. Of course I am still sore from the wound you left, but I am going through a healing process." I sighed and ran a hand through my tangled hair. When had I last slept? I saw a glimmer of hope flash in Edward's topaz eyes. "We can't be together."_

" _I thought..." He started quietly, clearly confused. It hurt me just as much to say the words. A part of my mind was screaming to close the distance between us and kiss him like he was water and I was stranded in the desert, but the rational part of me kept me in my seat._

" _Edward, I may have forgiven you, but I'm not going to jump back into a relationship like nothing happened. Besides, I am with Jacob Black." I could see shock cross his face before an unreadable mask covered it._

" _I understand." He stated in a controlled voice. "But I must ask a favor."_

" _Go ahead."_

" _Can we at least remain friends? I have spent too long without you in my life. I want to be in your life in any form you allow me to be. I need to be in it." Edward admitted vulnerably. I had never seen him this vulnerable before. I nodded._

" _Of course." I said with a small smile. He responded with his own crooked smirk before giving his thanks._

* * *

My life was flipped even more upside down trying to balance my relationship with wolves and vampires, but somehow I managed for a year. Life was as normal as it could be for a year. Edward and Alice enrolled back in school like nothing happened and we all graduated together. We would joke and laugh like the true friends we were. I would hang out at their house with Emmett and Jasper and the girls just like the old days. My weekends were spent at the rez with Jake and the pack. We were always on some adventure. Victoria was still out there, but she didn't stop my joy.

Too bad I couldn't keep living in oblivious happiness. There was a problem; Jacob hadn't imprinted on me.

It was a crushing realization that I could not ignore any longer. I was truly happy with Jacob. He was my best friend turned boyfriend. I love him deeply, but I can't ignore the fact that someone out there is his soul mate and it's not me. Every time I brought up the subject, Jacob quickly changed it to something else. It had ended in an argument once or twice and I eventually stopped bringing it up; it didn't make it go away though.

Was I supposed to sit around and create a life with him when out of the blue it could change? I didn't want to end up in another Leah, Sam, Emily situation. Leah and I had become good friends and I truly empathized with her pain. How long would it be before Jake found his imprint? Would we be married? Would we have kids? Would we have a house and a mortgage? The thoughts sent my mind swirling and caused my heart to ache.

It didn't help that Edward and I were growing closer. I never knew what having him as a friend was like and I found myself enjoying every moment we spent together. It only complicated things more. It would be simple if life was just wolves and vampires, but it is so much more than that.

* * *

" _Bella..." Edward's voice brought me out of my daze. I realized that I had been staring blankly at the Scrabble board for longer than necessary. "Do you know how long you've been sitting like that?" He asked with a smirk. I shook my head, trying to shake off the remnants of my thoughts. "Fifteen minutes."_

" _I was thinking of a good word." I defended pathetically. Edward laughed softly and shook his head, his bronze tousled mess flying around with him._

" _You are a horrible liar." He remarked, pointing down at the board. I glanced at it and realized I hadn't even played my second word. Crap. "Tell me."_

" _It's nothing." I said pointedly, playing a small four letter word. Edward sighed._

" _You're lucky I can't read your mind. I would have figured out the solution by now." He said with a crooked smile. I rolled my eyes._

" _Complete invasion of privacy. I'll keep Bella land on the AM station." He laughed at my remark before giving me a serious look._

" _I hope you know you can come to me if you want to." He said seriously, looking deep into my eyes. I couldn't hold his gaze for long before looking away._

" _Fine." I sighed after a moment. "Jake hasn't imprinted on me." I could hear the defeat in my words._

" _How does that make you feel?" He asked earnestly._

" _What are you? My therapist?" I snorted sarcastically. It was Edward's turn to roll his eyes._

" _I'm being serious."_

" _I get that Dr. Serious. It makes me feel sad." I laughed and Edward growled in frustration. I sobered up and sighed. "I'm scared Edward. What if he finds his true imprint? What happens to me?" Fear rang out in my voice at the unknown._

" _Jacob loves you, there is no denying that." Edward admitted with sincerity. I always appreciated his effort in this aspect of my life. It showed how much he truly wanted to be in it. "But, I've seen how an imprint relationship works and feels. It's incredible."_

" _So I just get tossed to the side like chopped liver? I know it's nothing he can control and he tries to will it to happen on me, but I know it's just wishful thinking." I felt the tears begin to pool and averted my gaze away from Edward. His icy finger brushed an escaped tear away from my cheek. "What should I do?"_

" _Have you tried talking to him?" Edward asked. I nodded._

" _He doesn't want to talk about it."_

" _It can't be avoided forever. I think you have to follow your heart in this, Bella." Edward said with a small smile. I brushed the remainder of wetness away from my cheeks and let out a shaky breath._

" _Thank you Edward. I really appreciate it. More than you know." He nodded with understanding before we returned to our game._

* * *

Edward was right. I had to follow my heart. I finally understood what I had to do.

The drive to La Push felt longer than ever. I couldn't push this back any longer. I was wasting both of our time. I pulled up to the small red house and parked. My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and smiled softly.

 ** _You can do this. Have courage. –E_**

Since when did he become a motivational speaker? I laughed to myself as I got out of my truck and let myself inside. It was something I felt so accustomed to doing that it felt like second nature. Jake was watching TV on the couch when I came in. He smiled and got up to hug me.

"Hey babe. This is a nice surprise. Although, it's not much of a surprise since I can hear the beast from a mile out." Jake laughed and motioned for me to sit with him on the couch. An episode of The Walking Dead was on. What better time to tell him this while zombies were eating brains? "You okay?" He asked after noticing my quietness. I sighed. It's now or never.

"I need to talk to you." I mumbled softly. I was definitely missing the courage piece. Jake's eyes filled with concern.

"Let's go outside?" He suggested. I nodded. The fresh air would probably keep me breathing. It was a rare sunny day in Forks. The sun was about an hour from setting and the sky was on fire with beautiful colors we hardly see here. We sat on the small bench in front of the house. "What's going on?" Jake finally asked after a long moment.

"You haven't imprinted on me." I stated quietly. I could feel Jake tense before letting out a frustrated growl.

"Not this conversation again, Bella. I already told you that I am not likely to find my imprint, so why can't we live a happy life?" I could hear the frustration in his voice as well. I wasn't afraid. I knew Jake wouldn't hurt me, but I didn't want to test the theory either. I had to muster up all the courage I could in order to continue.

"I'm not okay living a 'what if' kind of life, Jacob." I admitted with a little bit more confidence. Jake faltered. He hadn't expected me to continue the conversation in this direction. I never did. I would always just let it be forgotten about, but no matter how much it hurt me to do this, I had to.

"What do you mean?" He asked. I could see the frustration on his face mixed in with anguish that I could never console. I couldn't make him imprint on me. It killed me just as much as it killed him. It wasn't fair to either of us to keep on doing this.

"I don't want to live in fear of all the possibilities. What if you imprint? What if we get married and you imprint? What then? What if there are kids involved? How much life do we have to create together before it is ripped out from underneath us. My heart can't handle being broke like that again." My confidence was faltering as tears began to spill over. Jacob ran a hand through his cropped hair and sighed.

"What if that never happens? Why am I never enough for you?" Jacob asked in a quiet voice. I hated to hurt him. I tried my best to avoid looking at him. It was tearing my heart in two.

"That's the problem; what if? You have always been enough for me, Jake. I mean that with every fiber of my being. I love you so much, but it's not fair to do this to either of us. Imagine the kind of pain you'd feel if we ended up in a Leah/Sam situation." I cried, trying to keep speaking through my sobs. Jake looked back at me with hurt in his eyes. I also saw anger there too.

"We won't end up like them." He growled loudly.

"What if we do? I don't want to end up like Leah." My voice was fragile as I tried to hold onto my strength. "I don't want to hold you back from the person who is meant for you. It's selfish of me to want that. You don't know how long I've thought about this. You deserve better than this Jake."

"You are all I ever want." Jake's voice was soft. I think he was realizing the truth behind my words. We have never gotten this far into this conversation before. I'm sure he's thought about this stuff, but he pushed it off as soon as it appeared. In all honesty, it was easier not to deal with, but I couldn't take the easy way out; not this time.

"I hate hurting you, but I don't have a choice right now. I can't do this anymore. I'm so sorry Jacob." I cried. Tears welled up in Jake's eyes, but they didn't fall. I stood to walk to my truck, but his hot hand grabbed mine. Tears continued to pour down my face as I looked down at the ground. Guilt consumed my body in it's fiery rage. I hated myself for hurting him.

"If I told you I loved you, would it make you want to stay?" He asked in the most anguished voice I had ever heard. A sob escaped me as my heart felt like it was being shredded.

"Jake..."

"There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you Bella. I would sell my soul just to see your face. I'd break my bones if it'd heal your pain. I would do anything you want me to; to make you wanna stay." I knew he was holding back his tears. I hated causing him this pain, but I couldn't bring us both the pain that an imprint would bring. I couldn't let a family be torn apart.

"I'm sorry." I bawled.

"It's not your fault. You're right. I'm sorry I couldn't imprint on you." He whispered, letting go of my hand. Mine fell back to my side with a weight of a thousand bricks. "I love you. Please stay..."

With all the strength I could muster, I walked away and got in my truck. I peered at the man whose heart I had just broken through my rearview mirror and felt my heart crumple. My foot pressed on the gas, pushing my truck to its limit as I tried to erase that view from my mind. I knew I would forgive myself eventually, but that day felt like a long ways away.

I drove without knowing where I was going. I looked at where I was once I finally parked; the Cullen's. Edward opened my door and I threw myself into his arms, crumbling into a mess of tears. We sank to the ground as he held me in his arms as I cried harder than I ever have before. He stroked my hair and whispered sweet nothings as I poured my heart out, staining his blue button up with my tears. I don't know how long we sat there for, but when I began to shiver, Edward carried me into the house. He wrapped a soft plush blanket around me and held me to his chest. After another hour of inconsolable crying, I finally pulled myself together enough to talk to him. I pushed myself to a sitting position and turned to look at him.

"Thank you." I whispered hoarsely. He stroked my cheek softly and gave me a gentle smile.

"Anytime." He murmured. I knew the word had so much meaning.

Things were suddenly coming together and clicking in ways that they should have long ago. If I was meant for Jacob, he would have imprinted instantly when he first saw me after his phase. We were never intended for each other, but love is messy and doesn't comprehend that. My heart is messy and didn't understand either. But, after being torn apart, here I was in the arms of the man I thought I would absolutely die from losing. Is fate cruel or working miracles? _Follow your heart_. The words were etched in my mind.

I contemplated my heart and the way I felt about Edward. I had never stopped loving him. If anything, I only fell more in love with him slowly over the last year. I saw a different side of him that I never knew existed. When I wasn't trying to become one of them, I really learned a lot about who he is as a person. I realized how much I was complimented by this person. It was like two puzzle pieces that just fit together. I couldn't live without him; it was one of the most clear things I understood in life. I needed him like oxygen. It may feel sudden after all that happened today, but who I am to stop fate from bringing my soul mate back to me. Jacob was going to be a part of my heart forever, but I couldn't force something that wasn't meant to be, no matter how desperately I wanted to. I looked up at Edward quickly; my realization burning. I don't know what he saw in my eyes, but he leaned forward. I met his lips with a fervent passion that we had never shared before. I understood in that moment that my fate/heart/and life was sealed with that kiss.

This is home.

This is forever.

This is my imprint.

* * *

 **AWHH!**

 **I really hope you all enjoyed that! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! I could not get the idea for this story out of my head because of that song! Let me know what you thought of the song as well!**

 **I honestly hate hurting Jacob. He has such a place in my heart. I really love his character and exploring all that he can be. I also do NOT like to write mean/horrible Jacob, so of course he isn't lashing out like some stories I've read. His heart is deep and complex, but don't worry, he finds his imprint!**

 **I also do not see Bella as being a selfish bitch in this either, like one review so kindly said. It is a process to get to the point of making decisions that are best for you. She's always gone along with making everyone else happy, but she had to step up and make sure she didn't get hurt in the end. I'm sorry if you don't like it, that's just how it is here in this story.**

 **If you have an idea for a one-shot you'd like me to write, leave it in the review below! Thank you all so much for reading! I truly truly hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Love, GVE!**


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